Stabilizer



18, F F, MAlNS STABILIZER Filed May l2, 1938 afg yr?.

EMzhs m @Sw X 7F Y 4 n drum Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved stabilizing bearing particularly adapted for use in connection with relatively long unsupported steering shafts of tractors.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a device adapted to form a bearing and stabilizer for the horizontal steering shafts of tractors to eliminate the vibration inherent in steering shafts of the type which extend longitudinally above the engine hood of a tractor.

More particularly it is an aim of this invention to provide a stabilizer having a plurality of spaced bearing surfaces adapted to engage the shaft above and beneath to eliminate vibration and to retain the shaft in proper alignment relatively to its secured ends.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing which illustrates a preferred form of the device, and wherein:-

Figure l is a top plan View showing the device in position on the hood of a tractor,

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, and

Figures 3 and 4 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 respectively of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, I0 designates generally the hood of a tractor, II a steering shaft disposed above and eX- tending longitudinally of hood I0 and I2 a steering wheel secured to one end of the shaft I I. The opposite end of shaft I I is journaled in a housing I3 to the front of the hood I0. It will thus be seen that in this type of tractor the intermediate portion of the shaft i I which is relatively long in order to span the length of the hood I0, is completely unsupported and free to vibrate so that the operator of the tractor frequently has great difficulty in retaining a grip on the steering wheel I2.

The stabilizer designated generally I4 and comprising this invention is intended to eliminate the vibration in shaft I I thereby making it much less diflicult to steer tractors of this type. Stabilizer I4 includes the two spaced bearing members or blocks I5 secured in spaced relationship to the top of the hood III intermediate of its ends by means of the bolt I6 which extends through the hood and upwardly through the blocks I5. Each of the blocks I5 is provided with a semi-circular shaped groove I1 in its upper face, said grooves being aligned to support spaced portions of the shaft El and to provide a bearing `surface for these portions. Extending across the upper face of the blocks I5 and over the shaft II are the felt pads i8, which are covered by the metal covers I9 having the depending sides 20 which overlap the upper part of the blocks I5 and which are provided with cut out portions 2I as seen in dotted lines in Figure 2, to accommodate the shaft Il. Covers i9 and pads I8 are held in place by the nuts 22 which engage the threaded upper ends of the bolt I6, which project through pads i8 and covers i9. Pads I8 and covers I9 form a shield to protect the shaft II and the bearing faces I' from dirt and moisture.

Spaced between blocks I5 is a crosshead or yoke 23 having openings 24 adjacent its ends through which extend the bolts 25 which project upwardly through the hood lo, and on which the crosshead 23 is slidably mounted. Mounted on the bolts 25 between hood iii and crosshead 23, are the coil 20 springs 26 which normally urge the crosshead 23 upwardly against the wing nuts 21 which engage the upper threaded ends of the bolts 25 and which cooperate with the springs 25 in positioning the crosshead. A groove 28 is formed in the under side of crosshead 23 and forms a bearing face for the upper intermediate portion of shaft I I and cooperates with the groove I1 in journaling the shaft.

Blocks l5 are provided with horizontal passages 29 communicating with groove I'I and opening outwardly of a side of each block and providedwith the drilled openings 30 to receive the threaded portion of the oil or grease valve SI by means of which grooves I'l and shaft II is lubricated. Crosshead 23 is provided with a passage 32 extending downwardly from its top and opening into groove 23 and adapted to receive the threaded portion of an oil or grease valve 33 to lubricate groove 28 and the intermediate portion of shaft I I.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the in termediate portion of shaft I! is journaled by means of the grooves i7 and 28 which are arranged in spaced relationship to each other to provide a substantial bearing surface and to thereby eliminate all vibration in the shaft. In order to retain shaft I I in proper alignment, crosshead 23 is slidably mounted so that it can be tightened against the shaft by turning wing nuts 2l in one direction, or itmay be loosened relatively to the shaft by turning the wing nuts in the opposite direction so that the coil springs 26 can urge the crosshead upwardly and away from the shaft. In this way the intermediate portion of shaft Il will be prevented from becoming bowed so that it would normally turn through an arc when the wheel l2 is revolved.

Various modifications and changes in the particular construction and arrangement of the parts forming the stabilizer may obviously be made and are contemplated and the right is expressly reserved to make such variations and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts forming the invention as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:-

1. In a. bearing for steering shafts of tractors or the like, a pair of spaced base members adapted to be secured to the upper side of a tractor g hood and having grooves in their upper faces forming bearing surfaces to support a steering shaft at two points, a yoke having a. groove in its underside forming a bearing surface, said yoke being disposed 'above said shaft and between said base members and being adapted to `be slidably mounted on upwardly projecting bolts, and means engaging said bolts and the upper side of said yoke to adjustably retain it in engagement with the shaft to form a three point bearing support for the shaft to eliminate vibration.

2. `In a bearing'for the intermediate unsupported portions of tractor steering shafts or the like, a pair of spaced bearing members adapted to be mounted on the tractor hood and in which a steering shaft is journaled, said members being provided with a felt pad covering extending across the journaled portion of the shaft, and a cover removably secured to the bearing members and enclosing the pad, the upper parts of the bearing members and shaft; a bearing member slidably mounted on upwardly extending bolts and adapted to engage and journal the upper side of the shaft' between said first mentioned bearing members, means to tension said last mentioned bearing member in engagement with the shaft, and spring means resiliently supporting said last mentioned member.

3. A bearing attachment for tractor steering shafts comprising a pair of blocks having grooves in their upper faces, said blocks being secured in spaced apart relationship on the hood of a tractor for supporting a steering shaft in said grooves, boltsprojecting upwardly from said hood, on opposite sides of said shaft, between said blocks, a block, having a groove in its underside, slidably mounted on said bolts, said last men'- tioned block being positioned above. the shaft with its groove in engagement therewith to pro'- vide with said other blocks a three point bearing support for the intermediate unsupported portion of the steering shaft, and means carried by said bolts for cushioning and adjustably maintaining said vlast mentioned block in engagement with the shaft.

4. In a shaft bearing, a pair of spaced'bearing members having grooves in their upper faces forming bearing surfaces adapted to receive the intermediate unsupported portion of a shaft,

means removably connected to said spaced mem-Y bers and adapted to enclose the upper portions of the shaft opposed to the portions resting in said groovesa yoke shaped member having a groove in its underside forming a. bearing surface and adapted to be mounted above the shaft and between the spaced membersl to provide a three point bearing for the intermediate portion of the shaft, bolts slidably mounting said yoke, means carried by said bolts for adjustably maintaining the yoke in engagement with the shaft, and coil springs carried by said bolts for yieldably supportingthe yoke and for Vco-acting with said means in adjustably positioning the yoke relaf tively to the shaft. Y.

, FLOYD F. MAINS. 

